Now there was a man – one of the Pharisees,
Nicodemus by name
a leader of the Judeans.
He came to him (Jesus)
at night
and said to him:
‘Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher
who has come from God.
For nobody can d o these signs,
which you are doing
unless God was with him.’

Jesus replied:
Truly, truly, I tell you
unless someone is reborn from above
they cannot see the Kingdom of God.’

Nicodemus said to him:
‘How can a (man) be born being an old person?
He cannot enter the womb of his mother
a second time
and be born,
can he?’
Jesus replied:
Truly, truly, I tell you
unless someone is born
from ‘water and Spirit’
he cannot enter the Kingdom of God
The one born from flesh
is flesh
but the one born from the Spirit
is spirit.
Do not marvel that I said to you all:
“It is necessary to be reborn from above.”
The wind blows were it wishes
and you hear its sound
but you do not know where it is coming from
or where it goes.
It is this way for all who have been reborn from above.

Nicodemus replied:
How can these things be?

Jesus replied:
You are ‘the teacher’ of Israel,
but you do not know these things?

Eternal Light, shine into our hearts;
Eternal Goodness, deliver us from evil;
Eternal Power, be our support;
Eternal Wisdom, scatter the darkness of our ignorance:
That we may seek your face
with all our heart and mind and soul and strength. Amen.

Alcuin